M O L 
tella Americana, floriim petalis fimbriatis. Tourn. 
Inft. 242. American Mitella with fringed petals to the 
fiozvers. 
2. Mitella ( Nuda ) fcapo nudo. Amcen. Acad. 2. 
p. 252. Mitella with a naked folk. 
The firft fort grows naturally in the woods, in moil 
parts of North America. It has a perennial root, 
from which come out many heart-fhaped angular 
leaves, fome of which are obtufe, and others end in 
acute points ■, they are indented on their edges, and 
of a lucid green, a little hairy, and ftand upon pretty 
long foot-ftalks. The fiower-ftalks arife immediately 
from the root, having two or three angular leaves to- 
ward the bottom, and about the middle of the ftalk 
come out two fmall leaves with acute angles, placed 
oppofite. The ftalks rife eight or nine inches high, 
and are terminated by a loofe fpike of fmall whitifh 
flowers, whofe petals are fringed on their edges ; 
thefe appear the beginning of June, and are fuc- 
ceeded by roundifn capfules filled with fmall feeds. 
The fecond fort grows naturally in the northern parts 
of Aha ^ this is of a humbler growth than the firft, 
feldom rifing more than five or fix inches high. The 
leaves are not fo angular as thofe of the firft fort, and 
the fiower-ftalks are always naked, having no leaves. 
The fpikes of flowers are fliorter, and more compact. 
Both thefe are propagated by parting of their roots ^ 
the belt time for this is in autumn : they fhould be 
planted in a fhady fituation, and they love a foft 
loamy foil. 
M 1 T E L'L A M A X I M A. See Bixa. 
MOLD AYIC A. See Dracqcephalum. 
MOLLE. See Schinus. 
MOLLUGO. Lin. Gen. Plant. 99. 
The Characters are, 
’The empalement of the flower is compofed of five oblong 
fmall leaves , which are coloured on their infide , and is 
permanent . The flower has five oval petals , which are 
jhorter than the empalement , and three brifily ftamina , 
which ftand near the ftyle , and are terminated by Jingle 
fummits , with an Gval germen having three furrows , 
fupporting three very Jhort ftyles , crowned by obtufe ftig- 
mas. The germen afterward becomes an oval capfule with 
three cells , filled with fmall kidney -JJjaped feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the third feftion of 
Linnaeus’s third clafs, which includes thofe plants 
whofe flowers have three ftamina and three ftyles. 
Thie Species are, 
1. Mollugo ( Verticillata ) foliis verticillatis cuneifor- 
mibus acutis, caule fubdivifo decumbente, pedun- 
culis unifloris. Hort. Upfal. 24. Mollugo with acute 
wedge-fhaped leaves , growing in whorls , a trailing di- 
vided ftalk , and foot-ftalks bearing a Jingle flower. Al- 
fine procumbens, galii facie Africana. Plort. Lugd. 
Trailing African Chickweed , with the appearance of La- 
dies Bedftraw. 
2. Mollugo (Jhiadrifolia) foliis quaternis obovatis, pa- 
nicula dichotoma. Hort. Cliff 28. Moluggo with four 
leaves at each joints which are alraoft oval , and a panicle 
arifing at the divifion of the branches. Herniaria alfines 
folio. Tourn. Inft. 507. Rupturewort with a Moufe 
Ear leaf. 
There are two or three fpecies of this genus, which 
are rarely admitted into gardens, fo I have not enu- 
merated them here. 
Both thefe forts are annual ; the firft is a native of 
warm countries, fo is lefs hardy than the fecond •, they 
are both trailing plants, whofe ftalks lie flat on the 
ground •, the firft fpreads out eight or nine inches 
every way, and at each joint is garnifhed with fix or 
feven fmall leaves fpread out in form of a ftar. The 
flowers are fmall, like thofe of Chickweed, one Hand- 
ing upon each foot-ftalk j thefe are fucceeded by oval 
capfules filled with fmall feeds, which, if permitted to 
fcatter, the plants will come up the following fpring 
without any care •, but when the feeds happen to fall 
upon earth which is thrown upon a hot-bed, the 
plants will be forwarder and ftronger than thofe in 
the open air. This is preferved in fome gardens for 
the fake of variety, but has no great beauty. 
M G L 
MOLUC CELLA. Lin. Gen. Plant. 643. Molucca. 
Tourn. Inft. R. H. 187. tab. 88. [This plant takes 
its name from the Molucca Iftands, becauie it w-as 
found there.] Molucca Balm. 
The Characters are. 
The flower hath a large permanent empalement of one 
leaf , which is deeply indented at the brim , where it Means 
open. The flower is of the lip kind , with a port tube 
and chaps. The upper lip is ere A, concave , and entire. 
The under lip is trifid , the middle fegment being longer 
than the other. It has four ftamina fituated under 'the 
upper lip, two of which are Jhorter than the other, crown - 
ed by fingle fummits , and a germen with four parts , f im- 
porting a ftyle fituated with the ftamina , crowned by a 
bifid ftigma. The germen afterward turns to four angular 
convex feeds , fitting in the empalement. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft fedion of 
Linnaeus’s fourteenth clafs, which includes thofeplants 
whofe flowers have two long and two Short ftamina, 
and are fucceeded by naked feeds in the empalement. 
The Species are, 
1. Moluccella ( 'L/evis ) calycibus campaniformibus 
fubquinquedentatis, denticulis aequalibus. Lin. Sp. 
821. Molucca Balm with bell-fioaped empalements^ in- 
dented in five equal parts. Molucca tevis. Bod. Pempc. 
92. Smooth Molucca Balm. 
2. Moluccella ( Spinofa ) calycibus ringentibus odo- 
dentatis. Lin. Sp. 821. Molucca Balm ' whofe empale- 
ment s are ringent , indented in eight parts. Molucca fpi- 
nofa. Dod. Pempt. 92. Prickly Molucca Balm. 
The firft fort rifes with a fquare ftalk three feet high, 
fpreading out into many branches, which are Smooth, 
and come out by pairs, garnifhed with roundifh 
leaves, which are deeply notched on their edges. 
Handing upon long foot-ftalks placed oppofite ; they 
are fmooth, of a light green on both fides, and at 
the bafe of their foot-ftalks the flowers come out in 
whorls ; thefe have very large fpreading empalements, 
which are indented in five parts, and immediately un- 
der them come out two bunches of pretty long fpines, 
one on each fide the ftalk, each bunch conlifting of 
five or fix fpines arifing from the fame point. The 
flowers are fmall, and being fituated at the bottom 
of the large empalements, are not vifible at a diftance j 
they are white, with a caft of purple, and fhaped like 
thofe of the other lip flowers, having the upper lip 
entire, and hollowed like a fpoon, and the under lip 
is cut into three fegments, the middle one being the 
longeft. After the flower is paft, the germen turn to 
four club-fhaped angular feeds inclofed in the empa- 
lement. It flowers in July, but unlefs the feafon 
proves warm and dry, the feeds do not ripen in Eng- 
land. The fmell of this plant is to fome perfons very 
, disagreeable, and to others very pleafant. 
The fecond fort hath fquare fmooth ftalks, of a 
purplifh colour, which rile four feet high, and 
branch out in the fame manner. The leaves 
are Smaller, and ftand upon Snorter foot-ftalks ; 
they are deeper, and more acutely indented on their 
edges. The empalements of the flowers are not fo 
large, and are cut into eight fegments, each being 
terminated by an acute fpine. The flowers are like 
thofe of the former fpecies, as are alfo the feeds •, this 
is not fo hardy as the firft fort. 
The firft grows naturally in feveral parts of Syria, 
and the fecond is a native of the Molucca islands, 
from whence this genus received its title. They are 
both annual plants, which decay foon after their feeds 
are ripe, and being natives of warm countries, they 
feldom perfedl their feeds in England, when they are 
fown in the fpring ; therefore the beft way is to raife 
the plants in autumn, and plant them in fmall pots 
thefe Should be placed under a hot-bed frame in win- 
ter, where they may have free air in mild weather, by 
talcing off the glafles, but covered in frofty weather, 
obferving to keep them pretty dry, otherwife they are 
very Sub] eft to rot, when they are cloSely covered in 
frofty weather. In the fpring the plants may be 
turned out of the pots, with all the earth about 
their roots, and planted in a warm border, defended 
from 
